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Do Preferential Trade Policies (Actually) Increase Exports? An analysis of EU trade policies

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  • Cipollina, Maria
  • Laborde, David
  • Salvatici, Luca

Abstract

Trade preferences have been used by the European Union and most developing countries can export with preferential market access under different schemes. We study the trade impact of these policies using highly disaggregated 8-digit data in a theoretically grounded gravity model framework. We provide an explicit measure of preferential tariff margins, using alternative definitions based on a comparison between bilateral applied tariffs and two different reference points: the MFN duty or a CES price aggregator. From a policy perspective, preferential schemes have a significant impact on volumes of trade, although with significant differences across sectors. From the methodological point of view, our results show that the definition of the margin has a significant impact on the assessment of the policy impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Cipollina, Maria & Laborde, David & Salvatici, Luca, 2013. "Do Preferential Trade Policies (Actually) Increase Exports? An analysis of EU trade policies," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150177, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea13:150177
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.150177
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    2. Xavier Cirera & Francesca Foliano & Michael Gasiorek, 2016. "The impact of preferences on developing countries’ exports to the European Union: bilateral gravity modelling at the product level," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 59-102, February.
    3. Moses A. ERHI & David UMORU, 2018. "Econometric Analysis Of Differential Trade Preferences In The Economic Society Of West African Countries," Contemporary Economy Journal, Constantin Brancoveanu University, vol. 3(1), pages 15-23.
    4. Petr Polak & Nikol Polakova & Anna Tlusta, 2020. "How Bad Are Trade Wars? Evidence from Tariffs," Working Papers 2020/15, Czech National Bank.
    5. Demaria, Federica & Drogue, Sophie & Rau, Marie Luise, 2015. "EU preferences for agri-food products from developing countries- winning and losing due to the EU GSP reform 2013," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211568, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Mesquita Moreira, Mauricio & Blyde, Juan & Giordano, Paolo & Rodriguez Chatruc, Marisol & Li, Kun & Harris, Jeremy & Lucenti, Krista, 2018. "Connecting the Dots: A Road Map for Better Integration in Latin America and the Caribbean," MPRA Paper 102289, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Safet KURTOVIC & Blerim HALILI & Nehat MAXHUNI, 2017. "The effect of preferential tariffs of the EU: Some evidence from B&H," Journal of Economics and Political Economy, KSP Journals, vol. 4(3), pages 247-262, September.
    8. Braha, K. & Qineti, A. & Cupák, A. & Lazorčáková, E., 2017. "Determinants of Albanian Agricultural Export: The Gravity Model Approach," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 9(2), June.
    9. Khorana, Sangeeta & Caram, Santiago & Biagetti, Marco, 2021. "Developmental relevance of Everything but Arms: Implications for Bangladesh after LDC graduation," MPRA Paper 116258, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Frederik Stender, 2018. "MERCOSUR in gravity: an accounting approach to analyzing its trade effects," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 501-522, April.

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